trees of terror

Update: Massive Damage as Storms Sweep Through New York

The freak, Ghostbusters-like storm that just hit New York felled many things: scaffolding in Bushwick, trees in Park Slope and Prospect Heights, and maybe even a few Fashion Week models. (They are tall and fragile!)

Above, a photo of the Tree That Ate State Street, the latest piece of bad news for the people who own that house. “That place has been on the market for years,” a neighbor said.

Click here for a slideshow of the damage.

Update #1: The National Weather Service doesn’t know if the line of severe thunderstorms contained an actual tornado but says that “several reports suggest potential tornadic damage.” It won’t be able to make an official determination until a survey team evaluates the damage tomorrow. The agency has received reports of “downed trees, power outages, and some home damage; one fatality has been reported in the Borough of Queens.”

Luckily, Brooklynites Jazzy BK and her niece Sarah in Bed-Stuy are managing to keep their sense of style despite the drama. Do you have a tornado aftermath photo better than theirs? We highly doubt it, but if you want to try to prove us wrong, please send to intel[at]nymag.com.

Intel Nitasha, reporting from Prospect Heights, says that trees, streetlights and awnings are down, traffic is at a standstill, and many car windshields have been smashed.

Update #2: According to Con Edison, as of 7 p.m., 24,391 customers in Queens, 4,919 in Staten Island and 545 in Brooklyn were experiencing power outages.

Update: Massive Damage as Storms Sweep Through New York